Violin-rest.



. G. Loom].

VIOLIN REST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

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.v a m a COLUIIIA PLA NOGRAPM c0, WASHINGTON, D. c.

GUYON LOCKE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VIOLIN-REST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 19141.

Application filed May 7, 1913. Serial No. 765,994.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUYoN Looks, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Violin-Rests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in violin rests.

The proper posit-ion, in which a player should hold a violin, in order to facilitate advanced playing, where the fingers of the player must sometimes for a considerable period make rapid movements on the high notes, with the cords of the wrist and forearm in a constrained position as, for example, in playing the upper notes on the G string, is a position difficult for beginners to learn, and is acquired only by much practice and with the aid of persistentcorrection by a teacher.

It is an object of the invention to accomplish the important result, never before attained, so far as I am aware, of providing means with the aid of which a person, whether a beginner or otherwise, puts a violin automatically into proper position and automatically holds it in such proper position while playing.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved construction of pad and of detachable fastening combined therewith, and to provide the other features of novelty and utility which are incidental to the structure hereinafter described. And it is the intent of the patent to cover in the claims such features of novelty as reside in the structure disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent an embodiment of the invention, Figure l is an elevation of a violin with the rest attached, viewed from a position beside the head end; Fig. 2 is a plan, at the level of Fig. 1, looking down upon the rest; Fig. 3 is an elevation in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation in section on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 3.

The drawing, in Fig. 1, shows the violin and its rest in position thereon somewhat as it would be seen if viewed from a point straight outside a players left shoulder, such point being slightly to the rear of the head end of the violin, except that the drawing shows the violin and its rest as tipped up into a horizontal plane, whereas for the true playing position one must imagine Fig.

1 to be tipped somewhat backward and downward to the left. The body of the violin is marked 10; 11 signifies the restwith which the invention is concerned; 12 the base plate holding it on the violin; and 13 the clamp by which the chin rest 14; and said base plate 12 are held in place. The chin rest and its clamp may be of any ordinary or suitable construction. The plate 12 is held between the body of the violin and the bottom loop-claw of the clamp 13, this plate having a depending terminal tongue 12 which engages behind the terminal bar 13 of the clamp and thus prevents the plate from being pulled out.

In Fig. 2, which is a plan, the position the violins edge would occupy, if present, is indicated by the dotted line 10, although the violin is assumed to be removed in order that the eye may see the top of the plate 12 and of the pad 11 and their position relative to the violin. The plate 12 runs under the violin and rather close to the body thereof obliquely toward a line under the main longitudinal axis of the instrument; and the rest 11 attached thereto is at a little distance forward from the violin edge and is alined in a plane approximately perpendicular to the plane through the main longitudinal axis of the violin. This rest is so adapted by its position and characteristic short concave pad shape illustrated in Fig. 1, that there is only one place where it can be comfortably applied by the player to his person. In this position the pad edge which is seen at the left in Fig. 2 and is toward the eye in Fig. l, is pressing outward against the acromion process, or the body of muscles and tissues surrounding that bone; with the concavity of the pad following this mound forward and downward a short distance. It is positioned properly as respects elevation, or degree of tipping forward, by the upper edge of the muscle (pectoralis major) that is inserted in the upper end of the humerus. When a player essays to hold a violin so equipped in position for playing, the pad seeks the position des ribed automatically, as it were, 2'. 12., if the player does not put it there, the player finds himself shifting position from one place to another until he finally gets it there. The short and abruptly concave curved form of the pad brings the lower end thereof at such an angle that the player cannot comfortably rest it down too low, nor on his chest in any way,

nor tip it. lVhen the player presses downward on. the chin rest, the rest 11 being in proper position, the violin is gripped between his chin and shoulder in the position described, and this is precisely the approved position in which a violin should be held to give utmost freedom and endurance to the fingers and to the cores of the fore-arm as above mentioned. This pressure of the chin holds the violin fixedly in said position. Hence, the player instead of as heretofore having tediously to learn to put the violin into proper position and then to maintain it there, has only the simple or negative task of refraining from removing it; and this is really no task because any tendency to draw it away will be corrected. by the effect of the rest itself. In this manner a learner can acquire a habit of proper position; after which he may use the rest or not at will.

Heretofore it has been customary for players to wear a pad under the clothing to relieve pressure or prevent pain resulting from holding an instrument, these pads having no connection with the violin, and being merely worn on th person or placed thereon temporarily; and it has also been proposed to attach a pad or spring arch to a violin for a similar purpose; but the present invention while incidentally providing a cushion as do those prior devices, also provides an ap pliance so related to the form of the human anatomy and so related to the form of a violin, that there is but single position which the appliance can occupy on the players body and but a single position which it can occupy on the violin. As a result, when the violin carrying the appliance is held so that that appliance occupies its said sole position on the players body, there is only one position in which the violin can be at that moment. The sole position of the pad 11 is therefore so located in advance by the manufacturer of the appliance that the corresponding position of the violin is that position which is the proper or approved position for playing. I have found by experience that the position illustrated is sub stantially correct for any person of adult or adolescent age.

So far as my experience goes this statement of universal adaptability is true, but if more extended experience shall show that it is too broad, modification of the structure to suit any particular individual would be easy without departing from the principle of the invention.

The preferred construction of the pad 11 is as follows: A olate 15 of sheet metal. is formed into the proper concavity and dim nsion, and two layers of felt 16, 17 are placed thereunder, substantially duplicating its size and shape. Under them is another layer of felt 18 whose turned up edges inclose the plate 15, the two pads 16, 17, as seen in Fig.

3, being folded over upon the top of plate in. A covering of velvet or other suitabl terial 19 surrounds all. The pal. over on top may then be sewn t fastened in any other suitable un 1. cover plate 20 is then placed upon them in the position represented clearly in the drawings, covering and concealing the edges of the felt and velvet, and, with the aid of a single screw 21, furnishing a simple and. e l fective means for binding all parts of the pad together and fastening the whole upon the violin. This is accomplished as iiollows: A spacing guide st on, the plate Pl), projects down through the edge ihcreo" 5 into the under plate 15, where it is inserted in l l l i -11 p 5H .1. i 0 no 0. 11s lilbCiLlOl], coup cc in. .c new ing of its other end by the screw 1 which. passe. through it, fixes its angular iesitiou on the plate 20 and on the pad in nu. The screw 21 has a knurled or otherw 1 tatable nut 23 which, when turned down tight upon the spacing guide clamps the plates 15 and 20 together with the ;e .i

velvet between their. and provides v1z., the thickness of the spacing 1. i

late

kl I)LL iiade the guide into the slot 12, unt l the splin Q5 snaps over the i n 21. The an le and position is then dennitely fixed. The length of the spacing guide 22 prove any rotation of the pad with respect to the base plate 12; the arrangement of the forked end of the base plate under the wide nut 23 holds the pad up and the latch keeps the pad from slipping off endwise. The pad is i taneously removed from this positive lock, in practice, by the player graspiiig the pad 11 with his thumb under it and his :fore finger above it. The latter finger so applied to grasp it about where the line fr the reference numeral 22 terminates in 1. The point of the finger, being pre. ward that place, lifts the sprii rally and easily, so that the pad is unlocked by the mere act of grasping it.

It is obviously important that the plate 930 should be prevent-ed from rotating or 5 ing its angular position with respect to the plate 15 and spacing guide For clearncss in showing this idea mechanically, the spacing guide 22 is represented a. being a separate piece, which may he soldered, or otherilil- Wise fastened on top of plate 20 and which projects into mechanical engagement with the plate 15 that determines the main shape of the pad. It is, however, feasible, and perhaps in practice may be found best, to make the spacing guide 22 by punching or bending upward with a die a portion of the plate 20, omitting the spur connecting this guide directly with plate 15, and fastening the plate 20 to the plate 15 by putting a coating of glue between it and the velvet, thus preventing it from rotating about the screw 21 as a pivot. The screw 21 preferably has a square head or wing lugs 21, or some equivalent contrivance, so that it can be forced into the sheet metal plate 15 and be held against rotation by such lugs. Then the velvet is to be replaced, it is only necessary to unscrew the nut 28, and to pry up the plate from the velvet if it be glued thereto, in order to remove the old and put on the new. It will be understood of course that the thickness of the various plates and parts is distorted and in places exaggerated in the drawing for clearness of representation, but the general aspect and shape and size of the pad as drawn show what I have found in practice to be an effective embodiment of the invention.

The position and curvature of the pad 11 is such that when in use it does not press at all upon the players chest, but makes contact with his body only on the single continuous curved line at the described position, which is practically at the outside line of the torso. lVhile I believe the form and fixed position indicated to be universally adaptable as stated, if later experience shall show any modification necessary to accom-- modate an individual having an abnormal neck and shoulder combination, that may be done by providing for the pin 21 to be latched at some different distance from the violin edge, without disturbing the angular setting or bearing of the pad 11.

I claim as my invention 1. A violin rest comprising a short and abruptly curved concave bearing part having a size and curvature adapted to it the convex curve of the shoulder of a player, above the peetoralis major muscle outside the hollow of the shoulder; and means to fix said bearing part to the violin in a definite predetermined position with respect to the violin body, position of the violin with respect to a players body.

2. The combination with a violin, of a rest having a concave surface adapted to it the curvature of a t-layers shoulder, a base plate fixed on the violin and adapted to be attached to and detached from said rest, a guide fixing the angular position of the rest with respect to said plate; and a latch fixing the longitudinal position of said rest with respect to said plate.

3. In a violin rest, a pad, comprising a concave plate, padding material wrapped around it with edges on the top, and a plate covering said edges and having a guiding and spacing ridge; combined with a screw and nut clamping said parts together, a base plate adapted to be fixed on the violin and having a fork adapted to it beside the spacing guide under said nut; and means la ching the parts together in this position.

1. In a violin rest, the combination of a composite member adapted to rest upon the player, screw and nut clamping the parts of said members together, the end of the screw projecting above the nut as a pin and there being a spacing guide on said member under the nut; a base plate adapted to be fixed on the violin and having a terminal fork adapted to beside the spacing guide under the nut; a flat spring on the base plate, overlying the cleft forming its fork and having a hole adapted to engage "ith said pin end of the screw as a latch.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 28th day of April, 1913.

GUYON LOCKE.

lVitnesses EVERETT KENT, ANNA B. LINDSAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Oemmissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

whereby it predetermines the 

